Mike's Mailbag: Why will Big East teams possibly meet in the second round of the NCAA Tournament?

Frank Ordonez / The Post-Standard Syracuse center Baye Moussa Keita guards Marquette forward Jimmy Butler during a game on Jan. 29. Syracuse and Marquette, two Big East teams, could meet in the second round.

I think that I remember hearing that in the NCAA Tournament there was an unwritten rule that teams from the same conference would not meet until the Sweet Sixteen. Was that the case? I notice that this year that is not true. Was it because there are so many teams from the Big East and are they afraid that if they continued this practice there may be 11 Big East teams in the Sweet Sixteen?

— Phil H.

Prior to the 2006 NCAA Tournament, the NCAA Selection Committee had a written rule that two teams from the same conference could not meet until the regional finals.

The NCAA changed the rule as certain conferences, the Big East in particular, expanded to the point where it would be possible for more than eight teams from the same conference to receive NCAA bids.

The relaxed rule allows for meetings between teams from the same conference as early as the second round. There are two such possibilities this year involving teams from the Big East. Syracuse and Marquette could meet in the second round as could Cincinnati and Connecticut.

One rule still in effect is that the top three teams that the NCAA Selection Committee seeds from the same conference must be placed in separate regions.

Like many fans I’m totally confused at how the NCAA figures out RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) and SOS (strength of schedule). Those terms get bounced around constantly these days. Can you give us a basic primer on what exact criteria goes into determining RPI? Seems to me a team should never be able to improve its rankings after a loss just because the opponent has played more good teams. Are the rankings that we see all year used in computing RPI? If not it seems like they make a big thing out of nothing all year. HELP!

— Dennis in Auburn

RPI is a formula the NCAA Selection Committee uses more in the seeding process than in the selection process.

RPI has three parts. A team’s winning percentage counts for 25 percent of the RPI. The average winning percentage of that team’s opponents is counted for 50 percent. And the average opponent’s opponent’s winning percentage is calculated at 25 percent.

SOS is computed by using the last two parts of the RPI formula. The average opponent’s winning percentage is two-thirds of the SOS and the last third is the opponent’s opponent’s winning percentage.

Why didn’t the Syracuse team appear on TV when their name was called?

— Robert S.

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim has never liked the idea of allowing outside personnel to watch the selection show with the team.

He likes to keep it within the team. The players, coaches and sometimes the coaches’ families all watch the show together. At times it’s been at Boeheim’s house and in recent years they’ve gathered at the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center.

For what it’s worth, I agree with the concept of keeping it within the team.